COAL MINE FATALITY - On Wednesday January 29, 1997, at about 2:35 p.m., a surface laborer driving a pickup truck, arrived at the shop area of an underground mine. The laborer exited the pickup and was seen reaching in to the bed of the truck when an explosion occurred. The explosion destroyed the truck and fatally injured the laborer. Investigators have determined that explosives located in the bed of the pick-up truck was the source of the explosion.

This is the first coal mine fatality in 1997. As of January 29 last year, there had been 3 fatalities. This death is the first classified as EXPLOSIVES in 1997.